No need for needles: Botox sponge treats intrinsic rhinitis

Oct 15, 2009

Injecting botulinum toxin (botox) to treat intrinsic or allergic rhinitis may be a thing of the past as researchers have now shown that sponges soaked in botox are equally effective in treating the condition. The research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Head & Face Medicine offers a potential needle-free treatment to the millions of people who suffer from rhinitis.

Rainer Laskawi (ENT-Department) worked with a team of researchers from the University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany, to test the effectiveness of the botox sponge. He said, "Intrinsic rhinitis affects a lot of patients and can be quite disabling for the patient. Botox injections can help, and we wanted to explore a less invasive alternative".

The researchers inserted sponges into the patients' nostrils for 30 minutes, which were soaked with botox directly after the insertion. The patients then kept a 'nose diary' for the next twelve weeks, detailing sneezes per day, tissues used and a 'congestion score'. A group of patients who received the treatment scored better on all aspects. According to Laskawi, "We've shown that the minimally invasive application method of BTA with a sponge is a safe, painless method which can lead to a long lasting reduction of nasal hypersecretion".

It may be hypothized that there exits a certain form of a "botulinum toxin-sensitive" intrinsic rhinitis.

New evidence for the first time suggests that people suffering from hay fever (allergic rhinitis) will over time experience a progressive worsening of their nasal passage functioning, depending on how long they have the disorder, ...

There's a new wrinkle remover on the market. Late last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sanctioned Dysport for cosmetic and therapeutic use. Like Botox, it's an injectable drug derived from a botulinum toxin. ...

Recommended for you

(HealthDay)—About 6.1 percent of U.S. allopathic medical school seniors in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) were not placed into first-year residency positions, with a higher percentage of ...

Intensive care units across the United States vary widely in how they manage the care of patients who have set preexisting limits on life-sustaining therapies, such as authorizing do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders and prohibiting ...

A new study highlights the best way to use kidneys from older deceased donors, providing the most benefits to patients and addressing the worsening organ shortage. The study's findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of ...

Fourteen European nations signed Wednesday in Spain the first ever international treaty to fight human organ trafficking, a business that generates over one billion dollars in illegal profits worldwide every year.

User comments : 0

Please sign in to add a comment.
Registration is free, and takes less than a minute.
Read more

Click here to reset your password.
Sign in to get notified via email when new comments are made.